Don't worry about posting out of order Zahra. I only mentioned todo so briefly and I am being very counter to usual play-by-post initiative.
I ahve also contributed and need to untangle a little knot:
Zahra - please make a diplomacy roll to see if you can sew enough doubt in Deemeer to continue trading. We will count this as part of your round 1 action.
After that, Dounia's post takes place.
After that, round 2 begins with Tymythy.
What about an AoO if he uses his crossbow butt as an improvised weapon - at the regular penalty of course.
There are no armed prisoners up here yet - only the women you were reviewing and the low security prisoners in their cells. You are moments away from being engulfed in many prisoners.
Please keep these comments to the discussion page. Short ooc comments in the gameplay tab only.
What about an AoO if he uses his crossbow butt as an improvised weapon - at the regular penalty of course.
No clue about that one :-) Never really messed much with improvised weapons, as GM or player.
There are no armed prisoners up here yet - only the women you were reviewing and the low security prisoners in their cells. You are moments away from being engulfed in many prisoners.
Ah, that's my mistake then - saw prisoners icons on map, assumed they were armed, particularly as a couple did end up attacking the guard Tymythy relieved of his weapon, but you were included noncombatants on the tactical map as well... should have paid more attention, I guess.
That does kinda mean Tymythy's show of solidarity served no real purpose and there was at least a glimmer of a chance to escape... bummer.
I see what you mean Tymythy - clarity is everything and the situation is complex. I will see if there are ways to give a better picture in the future.
That does kinda mean Tymythy's show of solidarity served no real purpose and there was at least a glimmer of a chance to escape.
I gotta say I'm relieved to hear that your attack on the guard came out of a misunderstanding. I thought Tymythy had lost his mind or you were maybe trying to exit the game :)
Yeah... I added in together "the prisoners are rioting and have weapons" to "there are prisoners all around us on the map" and got "we are surrounded from all sides by rioting prisoners, armed and ready to get revenge".
Under that assumption, it seemed suicidal to me to be seen being friends with the guards, since while the prisoners' revolution might be eventually doomed, they certainly had the numbers to capture and kill every single guard currently in the pit, and since we certainly don't look like prisoners we'd be taken as being with the guards... what would follow seemed obvious (us dying in the short term making worrying about long-term issues pointless).
So, instead of harrowing escape, fighting for room in the lift and ladders and even ropes leading up, chased and shot at by prisoners who by then would have dealt with the guards and got their weapons, I thought it would be more fitting to side with the prisoners. Besides, Tymythy loathes the whole idea of a prison, so helping people win their freedom appeals in itself.
Add to that Dounia's sister seeming to me reluctant to be freed by us, I assumed she knew the escape attempt was imminent and had a part to play in it. Thus doing this would rather seamlessly way of shifting to a prison break adventure (there was some suggestion of some group knowing a secret way into the prison in some earlier post, I think...).
I think I forgot to include a previous bonus from Cairee on my roll, although I could be wrong.
If Dounia and Tymythy are ok with using the +2 bonus from Condos here then I’m good with that too. We need Deemeer to let us into the elevator and back to the surface.
Rioting prisoners are marked with a yellow dot - hard to see so I've tinted the tolkens.
I have switched over some of the female prisoners to rioters (yellow dots).
I think I forgot to include a previous bonus from Cairee on my roll, although I could be wrong.
If Dounia and Tymythy are ok with using the +2 bonus from Condos here then I’m good with that too. We need Deemeer to let us into the elevator and back to the surface.
I'm adding your Condos bonus and Cairee's aid roll bonus.
The situation has changed quite a bit. Everyone please read my last post with care. There is a lot to pars through.
Although Zahra and Cairee were below the original DC to convince the Sik that Tymythy is not harmful to him, the DC changed with whatever the guards on the bridge said.
Zahra (Shari) - I am very sorry for the long winded posts. Please take your time responding, or, if you need any help breaking them down into a less screen-demanding format, please let me know. There must be a way to to send out an automated text reader so you can digest this as a sound file.
OK, this is creepy.
Try copying this text ...
___
Cairee abandoned the lock-up and rushed after Zahra only catching the end of the conversation pleading for understanding.
Dounia, "Who's coming?"
Cyra pulled Dounia towards the railing and pointed down to the second level.
"Him!"
She looked deadly serious, desperate even, as she indicated the bandaged man who stood by the railing beneath and across from them.
"Don't go near him! Don't let him speak! If he starts to speak, stopper your ears! He can drive you mad with his words! He uses the truth to topple buildings and every other thing he tells is a lie! He only loves himself and the desert, and the desert has driven him mad! I defied him and now he hates me above everybody - Go and don't let anything stop you from getting in that basket!!!"
The bandaged man looked up suddenly and saw her. He looked to Dounia. And then back to Cyra. Cyra backed away from the railing frightened and continued to beat a path to the elevator.
One prisoner climbed to nearly the top of the gharb ladder, as another mounted the bottom of the ladder beneath him. The guards of the second ring were completely swarmed but continued to fight hard.
Two prisoners reached the railing and pulled out light crossbows to defend their positions, as four new lines were thrown up to the ring one balcony! Three hooks landed their mark and one prepared to throw again. New climbers jumped to their lines but, as one grabbed hold of theirs, the rope snapped under his weight and he fell into darkness screaming!
Iffa and Chaill tore into the guard due south of ring one. Their simultaneous blows floored the guard ... where they kicked him ... to death.
Most of the other prisoners that called the first ring their home were hidden in their cells waiting for the worst to blow over. Orra, Jin, and Zizzantri ran and swarmed the nearest guard forcing him to let go of the ladder. The second guard tried to hold it without aid, and barely succeeded in keeping the ladder from lowering.
Zizzantri took a blow to the forehead and seemed like she would collapse, but caught the guard off balance getting a powerful hold. The guard lashed out at her even grappled but could only swing feebly.
The Iolite sisters were nowhere to be seen.
Awaza dragged Deemeer to the start of the parapet and stopped to speak with one of the guard. The guard at the elevator was pulling wildly at the gate to open it then looked back at his friends. The guard she spoke with held out is hand, palm up and said something in Limaninite. The wounded guard stood up with great difficulty and grabbed his club.
Whatever was said must not have gone over well as Awaza let go of the Sik, and stomped down into a low horse rider stance.
She called out, "vakıf bana yardım et!", and with sword in one hand pushed a fist out with the other. A fist sized stone tore out of the wall behind Awaza and smashed into the centre of the guard's chest, winding him.
Deemeer looked furious and yelled to Zahra, "OK! One hundred and four! Now help us get out of here!!!"
The guard at the gharb ladder shot downward with his crossbow and hit the prisoner in the shoulder.
Xoza was lost from all sight.
___
Onto this website (https://www.naturalreaders.com/online/) and press play.
Some of the reading is quite off but works ok. Some of it is real sinister.
Orra, Jin, and Zizzantri ran and swarmed the nearest guard forcing him to let go of the ladder. The second guard tried to hold it without aid.
I'm confused here - why would the guard want to hold the ladder and why would the prisoners want him to let go? Where does it lead? I was thinking below, but I guess not?
There are two ladders from ring one - the ring you are on - down to ring two - where most of the rioting prisoners are. The rioting prisoners are trying to get from ring two up to ring one. There seem to be three teams: the hook and rope teams that are climbing up to the balcony's edge (two prisoners have already come up in this way); and, a team trying to get up each of the two ladders.
The guards are trying to pull the ladders up out of the hole in ring one so prisoners from beneath can't climb up. It is a simple security measure - remove the ladders. At the east side of the prison two guards were lifting the 'Sharq' ladder up (it is 15' up) but now it is just one guard holding on and keeping it from falling and being accessible to ring 2.
On the west side the ladder is being held down by a massive orc as prisoners try to climb it. The guard at the top is shooting at them as they climb.
Ah! Holding AND lifting - makes sense.
Zahra (Shari) - I am very sorry for the long winded posts. Please take your time responding, or, if you need any help breaking them down into a less screen-demanding format, please let me know. There must be a way to to send out an automated text reader so you can digest this as a sound file.
It's all good. I'm sorry if it sounded like a complaint of some sort. I just wanted to make sure that all 3 guards on the parapet were opposing Deemeer before Zahra attacked one :)
And you cutting all the text together makes the scene sound very suspenseful and spooky. I like it!
It didn't sound like a complaint at all - I didn't hear it anyway
It didn't sound like a complaint at all - I didn't hear it anyway
Good :)
Hah! Don't think you can trick us by posting twice. The first time you got a bad roll, don't play the old "the internet ate my post" so you can use that natural 20 on the 2nd time around! Bwa ha ha!
It’s been doing that to me when I post. If I push the ‘submit post’ button nothing happens. I press it again and it registers both posts. This time I didn’t catch it. Frustrating, it’s difficult enough to keep a rhythm going in a play-by-post game.
But thank you for teaching me the tricks - I’ll put that one in my back pocket for later ;)
I know, this website is so glitchy. I usually have to refresh 4-5 times to see anything I've posted. I find that if I don't get the "you have backtracked too far" error message, then the post is usually in there somewhere.
I also find that the campaign info tab is way worse than gameplay - I often have to try 2 or 3 times to get that page to update.
Speaking of, can you take my Angie profile off the "active characters" list? I must have mistakenly posted from there once, and then it changes my default alias on the site away from Dounia. Gods forbid I have to scroll past 2 names instead of just one!!
This battle is very exciting!!
This battle is very exciting!!
I'm very glad. I have been thinking about the possibility of this scene and started fleshing it out the closer you all came. I find it so hard to tell if players are excited or nervous. With so little traditional fighting in the game so far I was worried it was quite boring.
I have updated the Character Status in the menu
Tymythy-what is your current AC - I assume the one listed includes a buckler.
In fact, what is everyone's AC - Zahra, I'm afraid ou wouldn't have Mage Armour up as over 2hrs have passed since you might have cast it in the hotel.
You are correct. So her AC is 13. I contemplated casting mage armor again but decided the magic missiles were needed more at the time.
12.
AC 16/13/13, since we weren't asked to strip and remove armor.
Yes, everyone has their reg. armour
No, there is a winch at the top and one at the bottom. The top raises and lowers the elevator while the bottom creates tension to keep the elevator from swinging around. The bottoms winch is locked. You can release it before getting in but there is nothing stopping the rioters from locking it again - or even trying to pull you back down to them in a tug-of-war. For any other information I’m going to need a trained engineering roll - there are no counter-weights.
Thanks for the clarification. Tymythy doesn't have ranks in Engineering, so at best he could only manage the unskilled DC10 check, and since that is for the most basic of information I doubt there's a point of trying.
Deemeer has demonstrated he has engineering knowledge. You can ask him questions if you like.
Fair enough, will do that when it's Tymythy's turn to act.
I'm a little lost - is it Dounia's turn?
Yes, it's the end of round 3.
The succession is:
Dounia
Round 4 starts
Tymythy
Karma, Bisyun, and Altalab
The rioters
Cairee
Sorry, but sneak attack isn't effected by crits so: 4 (full dagger damage) -1 (str) +1d6 (SA: 1d6 ⇒ 6) + 1d4-1 or 1 (crit damage) = 10 ... well ... nevermind ...
*Big Grin*
Right, question is in the air... sounds to me that if the winch down here can be used to contest the winch up above, it would be simple enough to thrust a couple of pick handles between gears somewhere to stop the lift from being moved at all, but since this gets a bit technical, Tymythy's only suggestions to solve the problem are a bit on the violent side ;^)
Oh, also. A horn was used to signal the people manning the winch that the lift had to be moved, right? Any of these downed guards around the lift happen to have one?
You heard Amwot, the lead guard, sound the horn. He had to run to go get it which probably means he has the only one. I'm circling Amwot on the map.
Let's by all means delay Tymythy - he is a protective sort, so he won't be moving towards the lift if that'd leave Cairee alone on the front lines.
So sorry Cairee but storm burst and channel energy are both standard actions and you only get one per turn - unless you have a feat that allows one to be a different kind of action. I’m afraid I’m going to have to retcon the end of your post.
Dounia noticed Cyra's leap - that's why she told her to stop monkeying around. She's like a monkey, jumping and climbing. I'm hilarious, no?
Things are very busy and confusing - part of that was intentional, fog-of-war.
Part of it is trying to describe a complex scene in an ever changing play-by-post. Also, I described stuff that was in the Roll20 map but not yet in the snapshot. So here is some context:
Karma and his two lackeys, Bisyun and Altalab, have finally all reached the top ring. This is the ring that you are on. Bisyun is staying next to Karma. If you look at the big map on roll20 they are at the 9 o'clock position. There are some rioters around them. Altalab has cast a spell that lets him walk on air (perhaps 'air walk') and is now floating over the pit in the 8 o'clock position, walking toward the parapet.
Two rioters are advancing on the parapet. A third is being held back by Amwot (the head of the guard on this floor). Amwot is in the 3 o'clock position. One rioter shot Deemeer in the ass. The other ran all the way up to being base-to-base with Cairee.
All of the betrayer guards are dead and nothing blocks the way to the elevator.
Awaza, the oread key-holder that is acting as body guard to Deemeer and casting divine magic, has the key to the elevator and is almost there to unlock it. Deemeer is right behind her with a crossbow bolt in his keister. Zahra is by him. Dounia is not far behind. Cyra leapt 15' and is holding on to the parapet railing from the outside. Tymythy and Cairee are both at the end of the parapet.
There are two levels beneath the one you're on and a lot of fighting is still happening between better trained guards and rioters.
If all of that is still confusing ...
Focus on the rioters that are coming for the parapet - one is about to attack Cairee. Altalab is still at least 1 round away.
Everyone hold on. Cairee will be retcon'ing her post, but things are very busy
The new initiative will be: Cairee, Tymythy, NPCs, Zahra, Dounia & Cyra
Sorry, I thought I wasn't changing it, and I didn't see this til just now. I'll try to do that before work!
Dounia, you saw your sis dangling over a pit and just made a joke and let her dangle??? Wait, yeah, that checks out :)
The elevator is unlocked. You can run directly in. Cyra and Deemeer are already inside.
I'll be away this weekend for Easter. Please bot Zahra if you need to move the story along. I'll post if I can but I'm not sure if I'll have time.
Thank you - yes, I expect everyone will be busy.We will make the best of it and have a very happy aster weekend!
I believe the current initiative order with delayed actions is now:
Karma & his team
Tymythy
Zahra
Prisoner team 2 (R&H)
Cairee
All other prisoners
Awaza the Oread key-carrier
Deemeer
Xoza
All guards
Cyra
Dounia
I gave Tymythy a DC10 climb check to catch himself. Failure would have meant his friends would need to catch him. As it was a crit. - he pulled himself up as well.
Everyone is now in the elevator.
You currently have two rioters hanging off the elevator. One is dangling from the bottom corner and the other is on the inside of the gate/door, which is currently open.